xmaslights.jpgChristmas Lights


People first started putting lights on Christmas trees back in the middle of the 17th century. They attached small candles to the ends of tree branches with wax or pins.

The switch to electricity came in 1882. Edward Johnson made a string of 80 small electric light bulbs, and put them on a tree in New York.

One of the first electrically lit Christmas trees was put up 1896. In 1900, some large stores started to put up large illuminated trees to attract customers.

Before electricity was widely available, people didn't usually put up their trees until December 24 because of the risk of fire.

Today we use electric Christmas tree lights that are safe to use. These lights come in different colours and can flash on and off to decorate trees and houses.

What can we expect Christmas lights to be like in the future?

Presentation 1 | Presentation 2